Traffic-director



J. E. MILLER.

TRAFFIC DIRECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY28 1920 1,368,1 5, PqtentedFeb. 8,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' Dzvei'zi or:

J. E. MILLER.

TRAFFIC DIRECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY28. 1920.

[ 1,368,185. Patented Feb. 8,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- V JOSEPH IEJYULLEK" PATENT QFFICE.

JOSEPH E. MILLER, OF ROAN'OKE, VIRGINIA.

TRAFFIC-DIRECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed May 28', 1820. Serial No. 385,004.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. MILLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tra'flic-Directors,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traflic directors for use particularly atintersecting clty streets and has for its object to provide an improveddevice of this character. W1th this object in view, the inventionconsists of the formation, combination and arrangement of parts as willbe herein described and particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevational view of apreferred embodiment of the trafiic director of my in vention, thestandard or supporting column being shown as broken in order to reducethe size of the drawing. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same device. Fig.3 is a horizontal sectional view through the upper portion of thecolumn, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view takenthrough the lower portion of the column on the line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig.'5 is a broken side elevational view of the device, similar to the viewof Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a view of a diagrammatic nature showing how thesignals may be operated from a remote position. Fig. 7 is an irregularhorizontal section taken through the upper portion of the column, thisfigure showingin a slightly enlarged scale some of the details ofconstruction. Y

Referring to these drawings, the device consists of a central post orsupporting column 10, of tubular form, to the upperportion of which areattached four screens or shieldsll, one of which extends radially fromeach quarter of the standard 10. The shields are made with an innerportion of arcuate form arranged to match with the outer periphery ofthe column and from this two plate portions 12 extend radially outward.These plates 12 of one shield are spaced slightly from each other sothat there is provided between them a space 13 which accommodates aswinging signal, to be described later. i

Each of the plates 12 has vertical guides upon its inturned face andalong the edges erator.

of the same. These are arranged to slidably accommodate the plates 14.

These latter plates constitute signals which will be displayed throughsight apertures 15 in the plates 12 when the plates ll are lowered, andwill be hidden behind solid portions 16 of the plates '12 when raised.

Positioned beneath the apertures 15 are slidable screens 17, these beingformed of bent plates having arcuate central portions 18 withoutstanding'wings 19 arranged at right angles with each other. The wingsof one screen are arranged to overlie adjacent plates 12 of two shields11.

The shields 11 are secured to the column 10 near their upper and loweredges by means of the rivets 20. At the central portion of these shieldsthe metal is cut away to form a space 21 circumferentially of thecolumn. Slidable within this space is a column encircling band 22 towhich the screens 17 are attached, the space 21 being long enough toallow the wings 19 to be moved into positions to cover the sightapertures 15 or to be lowered to positions in front of the solidportions 23 of the plates 12. A rod 2% is attached to the band 22 andextends downward to the position of the op- By means of this rod thescreens 17 may be moved to either position desired.

Hinged to the column above the shields 11 at 25 are four signal paddles26. These are arranged to be swung from a depending position between theplates 12 and between the signal plates 14, where the signals 26 areobscured, to a horizontal outstanding position, radial to the column,where the signals are displayed. The four paddles 26 are disposed atright angles about the column in planes coinciding with the generalplanes of the shields 11. When the paddles 26 are dropped it will beseen that they fall within the intervals arranged for that purpose inthe shields 11.

The signal plates 14 and 26 are arran ed with difl'erent traflicdirections, such as o and Stop, and in general the device is arranged sothat from opposite fields of vision such as north and south one set ofpaddles, or one traflic order will be visible while at the same timefrom two other fields ofvision such as east and west the oppositetrafiic order will be visible.

The mechanism for operating the signals is so arranged that the signalsfor north and south traffic and for east and west traffic may beoperated independently or interlocked to automatically .give the abovedescribed displa of signals for the two streams of tra ic. Stop or Gosignals are displayed in all directions, there being four each of theselegends for each of the two streams of traffic. From any single held ofvision the Stop;.and Go signals are so coupled together that when theone is dis .playedtheother is hid. Also when the paddles 26 areloweredya'll legends may be hid by means of the screens 17. All four ofthe paddles 26' may be displayed at one time,

stopping all traffic.

.The operating mechanism extends upward within theicavity of the column10 which is r-formed ofa piece of pipe with suitable slots in-the wallsthereof. Near thebottom of the eolumnand :pivotedat 27 within the cavitythereof-aretwo operating levers 28 and29. These are positioned side byside and the portions thereof exterior of the column are operativelyconnected by means of the :handle '30. This handle is formed asa tube Vwhichfits over the ends of the two levers.

site ifrom that. of Fig. '1. operates the signals visible in Fig. 1 andFEhe-lever 28 being oiigreaterlengththan'the lever .29, the tubularhandle 30 maybe withdrawnto a position to release lever 28 and the:twolevers may then be operated inc ependently. With :the handle 30 inposition embracing both levers the two are operated as a-unit. The lever28 has a .stop shoulder 31 which isenga-ged by an inwardlyextendingsetscrew 32in the handle'to prevent its complete removal fromthe lever 28 unless desired. r

The lever 2-8 isarranged tooperate one set ofsignals, such as north andsouth, and the lever 29 to operatethe other set, such as east and west."Each lever is providedwith a positioning spring 33"inside the column.

Thesesprings are pivoted at their lower endsat-ifle, andrcooperate attheir upper ends with arms from the levers to hold the entire mechanismin either of their positions. 7

In :Fig. l the levers 28 and29 are shown as interlocked. In Fig. 5 thelever 29 is indicated in dotted lines as in position oppo- The lever 28lever29 those visible in Fig. '5. Lever 28 is of the first class andlever 29 o'fthethird class, hence whenboth'levers are interlocked andmoved in one direction asa unit it will be seen that one set ofsignalswill be raised and another set lowered. Operating rods extend inside'the column '10 from the points 37 and 38 on the levers 28 and 29respectively to nearthe top of the column. Here each ofthe rods isbifurcated with arms 39 and lO to which are attachedat 41 and shortlever like extensions 43- which are secured to each of the paddles '26.When the rods 36 are lowered the attached paddles 26 are raised ordisplayed. A link 1st extends from the pivot point 45 on each paddle 26,to the top of the cooperating 7 plate 14, hence movement of the paddles26 about their pivots 25 will cause a cone sponding sliding movement ofthe attached plates 14. Dropping of the signals 26 moves the signals 14into view and raislng of them raises the signals 14 to position behindthe plate portions 16.

A dome 51 may'surmount the column for weather protection and appearance.7

. In Fig. 6 is shown how the signals may be remotely controlled. Acolumn or standard 46 is locatedat the point of control and levers 4:7and 48, are applied in a similar manner as heretofore described exceptthat cables 19 are carried downward andthrough a conduit and then upwardthrough acolnmn'50, to which the signals maybe applied as before. v

Thus hasibeen described a preferred embodiment of the invention. Otherembodiments are contemplated, withinthe scope of the appendedmlaims,without departing from the spirit of the same.

whereby movementol? one of the same will produce simultaneous '-movementof the other.

2. In a trafiic director, a support, a'signal pivotally connectedthereto, a secondsignal slidably mounted thereupon, and interlockingmeans connecting the signals forthe alternate display and obsourement'of the two signals.

3. -Ina traflic director,a signal for indieating a certain movement oftratfic, a second signal for indicating a difl'erent movementoftra'fiic, means'for operating the signals, thesame being so arrangedthat when one signal is 'displayedthe'other willbe hid,

and independent means for hiding the other signal. I I

L-In a traffic director, a set of signals faced in one directionand asecond set faced in a direction at an angle thereto, meansfor operatingthe first set of signals, and independent means for operating thesecondset, and means for mterlocking the two said operating means .in-suchmanner-that both sets of signals maybe operated by oneof thesaidoperating means.

5.'In a traffic director, a set of signals efaced in one direction anda-secondset faced in a direction at an angle thereto, independ ent meansfor operating the tWo sets of signals, and interlocking means foroperating the two sets of signals as a unit, the same being so arrangedthat when one set is displayed the other will be hid.

6. In a trafiic director, a signal bearing a certain traflic order, asecond signal bearing a different traflic order, means for displayingone signal and at the same time obscur- 10 ing the other, and a slidableshield arranged to be moved into and out of position in front of one ofthe signals when in its displayed position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my si ature. l5

JOSEPH E. MIL ER.

